Cal State Fullerton

Stephen Williams catches for a California all-star team in a game at Cal-State Fullerton. Jett Bandy of Thousand Oaks High is the batter.

Fall Ball Photos

Matt Cathcart pitches against Oak Park on November 17.

Jacob Perrin throws in relief against Oak Park on October 20.

Meeting on Wednesday

There will be a meeting on Wednesday, November 14, during lunch for all high school students interested in playing on the Malibu High School baseball team next spring. The meeting will be in Room 204.

In Memoriam: David Vigil

[The following announcement was passed on today by Coach Gallo.]

David Vigil, the son of Bert and Nancy Vigil, passed away Monday morning, October 29th, at his home in Agoura. His father, Bert, has been an integral part of preparing and maintaining the fields at Malibu High School for almost ten years.

David was a great athlete; he played baseball and football for the Crespi High School Celts and was part of the 2004 and 2005 CIF championship football teams. He was named special teams player of the year in 2005. David Vigil and his father have also been active supporters of the VIP Baseball Division at Agoura Pony, giving selflessly to bring baseball to all children in our community.

In lieu of flowers, the Vigils are respectfully requesting donations be sent to Agoura Pony Baseball for a scholarship fund. Please make checks payable to Agoura Pony Baseball and put the name "David Vigil" in the memo section of your check. We all appreciate your support during these difficult times.

Agoura Pony Baseball
5699 Kanan Road #227
Agoura Hills, CA 91301

224 Yards

This IS a baseball blog, of course, but Sean Conrad's performance on the gridiron in Malibu High's 21-20 win over Viewpoint last Saturday is worthy of note.

Conrad gained 224 yards on 33 carries.

You can read about it in the Los Angeles Daily News.

Update: AK 23

David Kramer reports that Andrew is settling into the Pathway program at UCLA and has begun meeting players on the UCLA baseball team. He also notes that NBC has scheduled a story on the UCLA Pathway program for tomorrow's NBC Nightly News (October 3, 6:30 p.m.). The story is also supposed to air later at an as yet unspecified date on Today. Andrew was interviewed for the report and may appear in the clip.

The Return of Fall Ball

The Sharks return to the diamond the weekend of September 15-16 playing in the Westhills Baseball high school league. Game schedules are not yet available but should be posted soon on the Westhills Baseball website. Schedules and additional information will also be posted here on Sharks Baseball when available.

UPDATE: Malibu will be fielding two teams--frosh/soph and varsity--and playing in the Agoura High School Fall League rather than the Westhills League. The first game for the varsity team will be on Saturday, September 15, at 3:00 p.m. at Oak Park High against Agoura. Please check back soon for information about workouts.

Dateline Dodger Stadium

The Malibu Times and the Malibu Surfside News both ran stories this week about Stephen Williams and the Dodger Elite weekend. To see the Malibu Times story, go here.

Scenes from the Dodger Elite Weekend

Stephen Williams takes a throw during Friday's Dodger Elite workout at Dodgers Stadium.

BP at the workout on Friday.

Team Crim and Team Stephenson line up for the national anthem before Saturday's game.

Tommy Lasorda addresses the players between games on Saturday.

Williams awaits a pitch during the second inning of Sunday's game.

After reaching on a walk, Williams breaks up a double play in the third inning of Sunday's game.

Lasorda confers with Dodgers scout Artie Harris during Sunday's game.

BP at Dodger Stadium

Stephen Williams and Crespi catcher Jeremy Rodriguez get ready to take batting practice at Dodger Stadium.

Dodger Elite

Senior catcher Stephen Williams will be playing in the Dodger Elite games this weekend at Dodger Stadium. Williams will play on a squad managed by Dodger scout and former major-league pitcher Chuck Crim. The first game in the four-team showcase will be on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Crim's team will play again on Sunday at either 9:00 a.m. or noon depending on the outcome of Saturday's game.

Cal and Tony

On the day after Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were inducted into the Hall of Fame before a crowd larger than either of them had ever seen in his playing days, it seems like a good time to post a photo from my high school yearbook. Here, from the spring of 1976, is the Aberdeen Eagles varsity baseball team.

Cal is kneeling in the center of the front row (third in from the right). I'm on the far right--in the photo, not in my politics--standing next to Coach Morrison.

If you didn't get to see it on TV yesterday, be sure to read Ripken's speech or watch it here (beginning at about 1:22:00 into the video of the ceremony). As you might expect, Ripken devoted part of his speech to matters of character. Alternatively, for those who just want the highlights, read Thomas Boswell's column in today's Washington Post. Boswell, drawing liberally from Ripken's speech and the examples provided by both Ripken and Gwynn, writes eloquently about baseball and "the chains of habit."

One Last Time

On Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium in his last at bat wearing number 23 for Malibu, Andrew Kramer singled to left.

Congratulations, Andrew, on an outstanding career at Malibu High.

Cause and Effect

CAUSE

EFFECT

(Stephen Williams hits his sixth homerun of the American Legion season on Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.)

Brentwood 2, Malibu 1 (Box Score)

Malibu	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	AVE
Biglow EH/CF	3	0	0	0	0	3	.143
Kernodle 2B/SS	3	0	1	0	0	1	.250
Williams C	2	0	0	0	0	1	.167
Weinstock P	3	0	1	1	0	1	.125
J. Conrad 1B	3	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Dispenza CF	2	0	1	0	0	1	.500
S. Conrad RF	2	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Perrin SS/3B	2	0	0	0	0	0	.167
Schoenbrun LF/1B	2	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Bordier 3B	2	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Vititoe EH/2B	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Lamasney-a LF	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000
Kesselman-b PR	0	1	0	0	0	0	.000

a-replaced Vititoe in the bottom of the 4th
b-pinch ran for Lamasney in the top of the 7th

BATTING

ROE: J. Conrad, Kernodle
HBP: Williams
Team LOB: 5

BASERUNNING

SB: Kernodle (2), Weinstock (2)

DEFENSE

CS: Williams-Vititoe
Pickoff: Weinstock-J. Conrad-Vititoe
E: Bordier (fielding), Kernodle (fielding)

PITCHING	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA
Weintock, L (0-1)	6.0	5	2	2	1	6	2.33

Pitches-strikes: Weinstock, 88-52
Groundouts-flyouts: Weinstock, 4-5
Balk: Weinstock

Schedule Update #2

It's official. As previously noted, four non-league games have been added to the American Legion schedule. Four teams from the San Gabriel Valley will be making the trip to Malibu to play on June 30 and July 14.

The schedule--available here--has been updated to reflect the additional games.

Meanwhile, Malibu takes on Brentwood tomorrow at UCLA and again on Friday at Malibu High. Both games start at 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, Malibu plays Palisades at UCLA at 10:00 a.m.

Malibu 7, Harvard-Westlake 0 (Game Summary)

Matt Cathcart, Nate Schoenbrun, and Keith Lamasney combined to shut out Harvard-Westlake on one hit as Malibu won its American Legion opener, 7-0, in a game played at UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Malibu managed only three hits in the game, but capitalized on twelve walks and three errors by Harvard-Westlake to put up more than enough runs in support of the three pitchers. After Greg Kernodle, Sean Conrad, and Stephen Williams struck out in the bottom of the first, Jared Weinstock led off the second inning with a walk. Matt Bowman hit the first pitch into left field for a base hit. Jace Dispenza followed with a walk to load the bases. Jacob Perrin fouled out for the first out of the inning. With Tony Gwyn at the plate, Weinstock turned an attempted pickoff into a steal of home for Malibu’s first run of the game.

Malibu added two more runs in the fourth inning. Bowman drew a one-out walk and stole second base. Dispenza reached first and Bowman moved to third on a passed ball on a third strike. After Dispenza stole second on the first pitch to Perrin, Bowman scored and Perrin reached first safely on a throwing error by the Harvard-Westlake shortstop. Dispenza then scored to make the score 3-0 as Gwyn reached on a fielder’s choice.

Meanwhile, Cathcart, Schoenbrun, and Lamasney moved through the Harvard-Westlake lineup with ease. Cathcart allowed one runner—a hit batter in the top of the first—to reach over the course of the first three innings. Schoenbrun gave up a walk in the fifth inning and a leadoff single in the sixth while striking out four over the course of his three innings. Lamasney closed the game with a perfect seventh inning.

Malibu’s big inning offensively came in the bottom of the sixth with a four-run outburst. Williams led off with a walk and promptly stole both second and third. With Bowman at the plate after Weinstock struck out, Williams scored on a wild pitch. Bowman walked and, after moving to second on another wild pitch, scored when Dispenza’s base hit down the rightfield line skidded away from the outfielder leaving Dispenza on third base with one out. Perrin drove in Dispenza with a double down the leftfield line. Gwyn and Cathcart walked to load the bases and Perrin scored the final run of the game when Lamasney walked.

In part, Malibu compensated for light hitting with aggressive baserunning. The Sharks stole eight bases in eight attempts.

Next up for Malibu is a home game against Santa Monica at 2:00 p.m.

Malibu 7, Harvard-Westlake 0 (Box Score)

Malibu	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	K	AVE
Kernodle LF	2	0	0	0	1	1	.000
S. Conrad RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Williams C	2	1	0	0	1	1	.000
Weinstock EH	2	1	0	0	1	1	.000
Bowman 1B/RF	1	1	1	1	1	0	1.000
Dispenza CF	2	2	1	1	1	1	.500
Perrin 3B/SS	3	1	1	2	0	0	.333
Gwyn SS/2B	2	0	0	1	1	0	.000
Schoenbrun EH/P	1	0	0	0	1	0	.000
Vititoe 2B	2	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Hale-a 1B	2	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Biglow-b SS/CF	1	0	0	0	1	0	.000
Bordier-c 3B	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Kesselman-d LF	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000
Levine-e PH/C	0	1	0	0	0	1	.000
Cathcart-f PH	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Lamasney-e PH/P	0	0	0	1	0	1	.000

a-added to the lineup in the top of the 4th
b-added to the lineup in the top of the 4th
c-added to the lineup in the top of the 4th
d-added to the lineup in the bottom of the 5th
e-batted for Bowman in the bottom of the 6th
f-batted for Schoenbrun in the bottom of the 6th
g-batted for Vititoe in teh bottom of the 6th

BATTING

2B: Perrin (1)
ROE: Perrin, Kernodle
Team LOB: 11

BASERUNNING

SB: Kernodle (1), Williams 2 (2), Weinstock (1), Bowman (1), Dispenza (1), Gwyn (1), Biglow (1)

PITCHING	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA
Cathcart	3.0	0	0	0	0	1	0.00
Schoenbrun, W (1-0)	3.0	1	0	0	1	4	0.00
Lamasney	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00

Pitches-strikes: Cathcart, 28-19; Schoenbrun, 41-25; Lamasney, 12-8
Groundouts-flyouts: Cathcart, 4-4; Schoenbrun, 3-2; Lamasney, 0-3
Balk: Schoenbrun

2007 MVPs

At the post-season banquet at Duke's on Wednesday night, Stephen Williams was named the most valuable player of the 2007 Malibu High varsity baseball team and Jesse Conrad was named JV MVP.

Williams led the team in batting average (.411), on-base percentage (.576), slugging percentage (.786), homeruns (5), and RBIs (18). His OPS (combined on-base percentage and slugging percentage) was tops in the Tri Valley League.

Tri Valley All-League Team

Senior Jared Weinstock and junior Stephen Williams were first-team Tri Valley All-League selections for 2007. Sophomore Sean Conrad earned second-team honors and senior Greg Kernodle was honorable mention.

Weinstock batted .344 with 2 homeruns and 15 RBIs. Williams had a .411 batting average with 5 homeruns and 18 RBIs. Conrad led the Sharks in hits (24) and doubles (7) and had a .304 batting average. Kernodle batted .254 with 5 doubles and 4 stolen bases.

Oak Park placed four players on the first team. St. Bonaventure and Oaks Christian had three first-team honorees each.

Junior Casey Serna of St. Bonaventure was named the Tri Valley League MVP.

Tri Valley League All-Academic Team

Nine members of the Malibu High baseball program were named to the 2007 Tri Valley League All-Academic Team. Congratulations to Dalton Abbott, Jesse Conrad, Jace Dispenza, Cody Freeman, Tony Gwyn, Andrew Kramer, Jacob Perrin, Jared Weinstock, and Stephen Williams for combining academic and athletic excellence.

The Sharks placed more players on the All-Academic Team than any other school in the league.

Schedule Update #1

The 2007 American Legion schedule has been updated. Please note the following changes:

• The game scheduled for Saturday, June 9, has been changed from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• A new game has been added on June 20.

• The game originally scheduled for July 2 has been cancelled.

There are three other changes that do not affect the calendar, but in the interest of full disclosure it's worth noting that the opponents have been changed for the games on June 16, June 23 (second game), and July 21 (second game).

RSVP

The Malibu High Baseball banquet is set for Duke's of Malibu on Wednesday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m. The cost will be $25 per person (cash only). If you have not already RSVP'd, please contact Coach Gallo as soon as possible.

Subject to Change

The 2007 American Legion schedule posted below is subject to change. Please check back frequently--but especially after May 30 when District 24 managers meet--to see any changes that have been made.

Please note, too, that inter-district (non-league) doubleheaders will likely be scheduled for Saturday, June 30, and Saturday, July 14.

2007 American Legion Schedule

Date Day Time Visitor Home Location
June 8 Friday 5:00pm Malibu Harvard-WL UCLA
June 9 Saturday 2:00pm SaMo A Malibu Malibu
June 12 Tuesday 5:00pm Malibu Brentwood UCLA
June 15 Friday 5:00pm Malibu Brentwood Malibu
June 16 Saturday 10:00am Palisades B Malibu UCLA
June 20 Wednesday 5:00pm Palisades A Malibu UCLA
June 23 Saturday 10:00am Malibu Beverly Hills Malibu
June 23 Saturday 2:00pm University Malibu Malibu
June 28 Thursday 5:00pm Beverly Hills Malibu UCLA
June 30 Saturday 10:00am Grant Malibu Malibu
June 30 Saturday 1:00pm Knight Malibu Malibu
July 5 Thursday 5:00pm Harvard-WL Malibu UCLA
July 7 Saturday 10:00am Malibu SaMo A SaMo High
July 9 Monday 5:00pm Harvard-WL Malibu UCLA
July 11 Wednesday 5:00pm Brentwood Malibu UCLA
July 13 Friday 5:00pm Malibu Harvard-WL UCLA
July 14 Saturday 10:00am Panorama City Malibu Malibu
July 14 Saturday 1:00pm La Canada Malibu Malibu
July 20 Friday 5:00pm Malibu Palisades A UCLA
July 21 Saturday 10:00am SaMo B Malibu UCLA
July 21 Saturday 2:00pm Malibu SaMoA UCLA

To Saticoy Field

Malibu takes on St. Bonaventure tomorrow in the final game of the 2007 season. To get to Saticoy Field where the Seraphs play their home games, take the 101 Freeway to the Central exit. Go right on Central to Vineyard and turn right. Take Vineyard to Los Angeles Avenue and turn left. (Los Angeles Avenue will become Wells Road.) The field is located near the corner of Wells and Henderson.

For a map, go here.

Senior Day, 2007

The Malibu High baseball program honors its graduating seniors before today's game against St. Bonaventure. Please come early to honor Sloan Campi, Jace Dispenza, Jake Jesson, Andrew Kramer, Greg Kernodle, Wilder Philipson, Jason Walsh, and Jared Weinstock--along with their parents--for all their contributions to Sharks baseball.

Fillmore 5, Sharks 3 (Game Summary)

Fillmore scored two runs in the top of the tenth inning and held on to defeat Malibu, 5-3, in a key Tri-Valley League game at Malibu High on Friday. The victory moved Fillmore into sole possession of fourth place with a league record of five wins and five losses. Malibu (4-6) is a game behind Fillmore with two games left to play against first-place St. Bonaventure.

The Sharks jumped out to an early lead, but were unable to hold off the Flashes. After Jace Dispenza, making his first start on the mound, retired Fillmore in order in the top of the first inning, Greg Kernodle led off the bottom half of the inning with a four-pitch walk. Sean Conrad popped up a bunt attempt for the first out of the inning. Stephen Williams followed with a single that moved Kernodle into scoring position at second base. Jared Weinstock popped to short for the second out. Dispenza then turned on a 3-1 pitch and drilled a double down the third base line. Kernodle scored the first Malibu run on the hit and Williams advanced to third. A few pitches later, with Jacob Perrin at the plate, Williams scored the Sharks’ second run on a passed ball.

Dispenza did not allow a baserunner until the third inning when designated hitter Raul Ramirez lined a one-out single to left. Anthony Flores struck out looking for the second out of the inning. With Jonathan Avila at the plate, Ramirez advanced to second on wild pitch but was thrown out trying to steal third for the final out of the inning.

After going quietly in the bottom of the second, Malibu added another run in the third. Williams led off the inning with a double off the centerfield fence. He then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Weinstock and, on a 1-1 pitch to Dispenza, scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-0.

It appeared that three runs would be more than enough for Dispenza, who threw 40 strikes in 53 pitches while striking out four through the first four innings. In the fifth inning, however, Dispenza began to struggle. Eric Galvan led off with a four-pitch walk, but Dispenza got some help from his defense as Williams threw out Galvan trying to steal. Dispenza hit the next batter, centerfielder Sean Conaway, and walked Justin Liu before getting the second out of the inning via a fielder’s choice on a ground ball off the bat of Ramirez to Perrin at short. After a stolen base by Ramirez put two runners in scoring position, Dispenza battled back to get his fifth strikeout of the game to end the inning.

After Williams doubled in the third inning, Fillmore senior pitcher Jonathan Avila retired 17 of the next 18 Sharks batters. In fact, from the second inning through the tenth, Malibu never had more than one baserunner in an inning.

Meanwhile, Fillmore took advantage of walks and errors to tie the score in the top of the sixth. Following a lead-off walk, Sal Ibarra lined a pitch just out of the reach of Kernodle at second. An alert play by centerfielder Nate Schoenbrun turned the apparent hit into a fielder’s choice as Avila was forced out at second base. An infield error and a walk loaded the bases and ended Dispenza’s work on the mound.

Sean Conrad entered the game and struggled with his control. A walk to Galvan forced in Ibarra with Fillmore’s first run. A 1-2 curveball hit Conaway in the back to force in another run and leave the bases loaded. Liu followed with a grounder to Perrin at short. Conaway was forced at second, but Kernodle’s relay to Weinstock at first was not in time to complete the double play. Ralph Meza scored on the play to tie the score, 3-3. Conrad got Ramirez to fly out to Dispenza in center for the third out of the inning.

The Sharks went in order in both the sixth and seventh innings. Fillmore had an opportunity to take the lead in the top of the seventh. Jason Hurtado, pinch-hitting for Flores, ran the count full before walking to lead off the inning. However, on the first pitch to Avila, Hurtado was thrown out stealing. Avila singled to left but was left stranded on first as both Ibarra and Larry Tovar popped out.

Except for a hit batter, Conrad breezed through the eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth, Williams made a bid for a walkoff homerun but came up inches short. On a 1-2 pitch from Avila, Williams drove a ball to the fence in straightaway center, but Conaway was there to make the catch. Weinstock followed with a two-out single to left, but Dispenza flied to center to send the game into the ninth inning.

Conrad retired Fillmore in order in the ninth. Malibu got a two-out single from Tony Gwyn in the bottom of the inning but Gwyn was left on first when Schoenbrun popped out to second.

In the top of the tenth, Tovar doubled into the left-center gap with one out. A pop foul caught by Weinstock at first left the Flashes with just one out to go. Conrad walked Galvan intentionally after falling behind, 3-0, and then hit Conaway to load the bases. On a 2-1 pitch, Liu singled to center to drive in Tovar and Galvan with the go-ahead runs. Alex Becerra struck out to end the inning with the score 5-3.

With the pitch count at 117 entering the bottom of the tenth inning, Jonathan Avila appeared stronger than at the start of the game. Kernodle grounded out to first on a 1-0 pitch. Conrad struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Williams hit a routine fly ball to center to end the game.

Game Notes: Fillmore center fielder Sean Conaway was hit by a pitch four times in the game–once by Dispenza in the fifth inning and three times by Conrad (in the sixth, eighth, and tenth innings). . . . Only one Malibu runner reached second base after the third inning. . . . Stephen Williams was 6-for-9 with a homerun and a double in the two games against Fillmore. Two of the three outs he made were fly balls caught up against the fence. . . . Fillmore scored three runs in the top of the sixth without a base hit. . . . Dispenza struck out five and gave up just two hits in 5.1 innings of work.

Fillmore 5, Sharks 3 (Photos)

Jace Dispenza delivers a pitch in the top of the second inning.

Stephen Williams doubles off the fence in center in the third inning.

Sean Conrad pitches in the top of the seventh.

On the Nose

Stephen Williams is hitting .474 with 4 homeruns and 9 RBIs since breaking his nose on April 14.

Sharks 9, Fillmore 4 (Photos)

Starting pitcher Jacob Perrin works in the sixth inning.

Stephen Williams singles in the seventh inning.

Sloan Campi steals second in the top of the seventh.

All That Jazz

We're still looking for a link to the photo online, but senior Jared Weinstock was featured with the Malibu High Jazz Quintet in last week's Malibu Times. The ensemble earned top honors at the Fullerton College Jazz Festival on March 23.

Back to Work

Practice resumes tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

On Saturday, the Sharks will play a doubleheader at Grace Brethren beginning at 11:00 a.m. (Grace Brethren is located at 1350 Cherry Avenue in Simi Valley. For a map, go here.)

Scouting Report: Oak Park Eagles

The Sharks (3-6) play their first-ever Tri-Valley League game today at home against the Oak Park Eagles (5-2). The home-and-away series will conclude on Friday at Oak Park. Both games are scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. (For a map to Oak Park High School, click here.)

Oak Park is coming off two shutout wins over Village Christian (13-0) and Kilpatrick (26-0). The Eagles' three other wins, all in the El Segundo Tournament, were by identical 12-4 scores over Crenshaw, Redondo, and Cathedral. The Eagles lost one-run games in the tournament to San Pedro and Whittier.

Leading the Eagles this season is senior Blair Walters, who is currently hitting .583 with 3 homeruns and 19 RBIs. Walters is also Oak Park's number one starter. Last season he posted a 6-2 record with a 1.78 ERA in 51 innings on the mound.

Also off to hot starts for the Eagles are senior catcher Ty Muller and junior pitcher and outfielder Mitchell Halpert. Muller is hitting .632 with six extra-base hits. Halpert, hitting .542, has 2 doubles, 2 triples, and a homerun.

Last year, Oak Park rode a nine-run third inning to a 14-7 win over Malibu in the only matchup between the two teams.

Pictures

Don't forget that tomorrow is picture day for the Malibu High baseball team. Sports Legends Photography will be taking team and individual photos.

Tony and Matt Berru of Digital Prospects took pictures during the first game of the doubleheader against L.A. Baptist on Saturday. (Matt, a catcher for L.A. Baptist, graduated in 2006.) To see proofs from the game, follow the instructions on the web site. My e-mail request for proofs got an almost immediate response containing seven very good shots of #44.

Scouting Report: L.A. Baptist Knights

After playing four consecutive games on the road, the Sharks return home today for the first of this season's three Saturday doubleheaders. Malibu will be looking to reverse a three-game losing streak before beginning Tri-Valley League play on Wednesday against Oak Park.

The Sharks' opponent for today's twin bill, L.A. Baptist, compiled a 10-13 record last season. In a rain-soaked game at L.A. Baptist a year ago, Malibu came away with a 4-2 win.

The Knights, who will be playing their first game of the season today, bring a team full of seniors into the 2007 campaign. Their offensive leader is expected to be senior first baseman John Balbuena. In 2006, Balbuena led the Knights in batting average (.371), homeruns (2), and RBIs (20).

On the mound last season, right-hander Tom Gilbertson had 50 strikeouts in 46.2 innings while putting together a 3-5 record. (Gilbertson was the losing pitcher against Malibu a year ago.) Lefty Jason Pratts was second on the team to Gilbertson in innings pitched in 2006. Pratts was 3-4 with a 4.72 ERA. Gilbertson and Pratts are both seniors this year.

The first game at Malibu High is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

Campbell Hall 6, Sharks 5

The Sharks banged out 12 hits including three doubles and a homerun but fell short in a 6-5 loss to Campbell Hall. Greg Kernodle doubled twice, Jace Dispenza had two singles, Jacob Perrin had a single and a double, and Stephen Williams also had two hits including his first homerun of the year.

Freshman Matt Cathcart, making his first varsity start, pitched five innings for the Sharks. Cathcart gave up five runs, all earned, struck out two, walked three, and hit two batters. Because the homerun by Williams tied the game in the sixth inning, Cathcart was spared the loss.

Malibu mounted a short-lived threat in the top of the first. After Kernodle grounded out to lead off the inning, Dispenza singled to center and advanced to second on a passed ball. Williams walked, but Jared Weinstock grounded into a double play to end the inning.

After Cathcart retired the Vikings in order in the bottom of the first, Malibu pushed across a run in the top of the second. Justin Hale led off with a single to right. With Jacob Perrin at the plate, Hale moved over to second on a wild pitch. Perrin hit a grounder back to pitcher Zach Kaplan. Hale broke for third and would have been thrown out, but Kaplan's throw to third baseman Ben Schwartz was high allowing Hale to slide in under Schwartz's tag. With runners on first and third, Nate Schoenbrun singled to left to drive in Hale with the first Malibu run. Schoenbrun stole second with Sean Conrad at the plate. Conrad then lined out to short for the first out of the inning. Tony Gwyn follwed with a bunt back to the pitcher who flipped the ball to catcher Aaron Hassel in plenty of time to get Perrin trying to score. The inning ended when Greg Kernodle lined out to second baseman Tyler Johnson.

Campbell Hall tied the game in the bottom of the second. After retiring the first two Vikings hitters on ground balls to Kernodle at second, Cathcart hit Johnson with a pitch. A balk moved Johnson to second and he scored when Tyler Winther singled to left center. An errant throw from the outfield allowed Winther to move to second, but Cathcart retired Paul Maler on another groundout to second to end the inning with the scored tied, 1-1.

The Sharks added three more runs and seemed poised to pull away from Campbell Hall in the third inning. Dispenza led off with his second base hit of the game. After a wild pitch advanced Dispenza to second, Williams lined a single into left field. With runners on the corners, Jared Weinstock singled to right to knock in Dispenza. Hale then bunted Williams and Weinstock over to second and third. Perrin followed with a single to left to drive in Williams and advance Weinstock to third. In a replay of the previous inning, Schoenbrun bunted back to Kaplan who tossed the ball to Hassel to nail Weinstock at the plate. With two outs and runners on first and second, Conrad singled to right to drive in Perrin. When Winther's throw from right rolled toward home plate, Schoenbrun tried to score. Hassel fielded the throw in foul territory on the first base side and raced to the plate in time to tag out Schoenbrun for the third out of the inning.

Staked to a 4-1 lead, Cathcart ran into some problems in the bottom of the third. After retiring the leadoff hitter on a grounder to Perrin at short, Cathcart walked the next two hitters. A hit batter loaded the bases with one out and a walk to Kaplan pushed across one run. Schwartz and Johnson followed with line drive singles up the middle to drive in the second and third runs of the inning. Cathcart escaped further damage by striking out Winther and inducing Maler to ground out to end the inning.

In both the fourth and fifth innings, Malibu put together a double and walk but was unable to score. Kernodle doubled deep to center with one out in the fourth. After Dispenza struck out, Kernodle stole third. Williams walked on four pitches and stole second before Weinstock flied to center to end the innings.

Perrin doubled deep to center with one out in the fifth. Schoenbrun followed with a walk, but Conrad and pinch hitter Dalton Abbott both struck out to leave Perrin and Schoenbrun stranded.

Meanwhile, the Vikings took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a solo homerun by leadoff hitter Greg Zebrack. Two line drives hauled in by Conrad in right prevented any further scoring in the inning.

Malibu tied the game in the sixth, but came away thinking about what might have been. Kernodle led off the inning with his second extra-base hit of the game. On a drive over the left fielder's head, Kernodle was thrown out trying to stretch his double into a three bases. The Sharks' next hitter, Jace Dispenza was hit by a pitch. With Williams at the plate and the count 2-2, Dispenza was thrown out trying to steal second. With two outs, a full count, and the bases empty, Williams drove the payoff pitch high over the left field fence for his first homerun of the season and a short-lived 5-5 score.

In the top of the sixth, Sean Conrad replaced Cathcart on the mound. Conrad struggled with his control, but struck out leadoff hitter Ted Rothenberg on a 3-2 pitch. Evan Haskell followed with a walk after Conrad ran the count to 3-2. Zebrack also walked to set the stage for Aaron Hassel. On the first pitch, Hassel singled to drive in Haskell. Zebrack moved to third, but Hassel was thrown out at second by Tony Gwyn when he tried to advance on the throw to third. With two outs, Matthew Cherry missed a squeeze attempt allowing Zebrack to be tagged out between third and home.

Trailing 6-5 in the top of the seventh, the Sharks threatened but failed to score. Hale grounded out to short to start the inning. Perrin followed with a walk and moved to second when Schoenbrun grounded out on a dribbler in front of the plate. With two outs and first base open, the Vikings intentionally walked Conrad. Gwyn then grounded to short for the final out of the game.

Overall, Malibu left ten runners on base. Five others were thrown out on the bases, three of them at home.

Scouting Report: Montclair Prep Mounties

The Sharks travel to the Mid-Valley baseball complex tomorrow to take on Cher's alma mater, Montclair Prep. The Mounties, currently 3-1-1, have wins against North Hollywood, Monroe, and Poly so far this season.

Montclair Prep is led by senior pitcher/third baseman Naveed Rezvani. Last year, Rezvani led the Mounties in batting average (.447), hits (34), wins (9), and ERA (2.26).

Sophomore shortstop Matt Hartunian put up impressive numbers as a freshman with a .425 batting average, 6 homeruns, and 20 RBIs. Joining Hartunian up the middle is sophomore second baseman Ray Palafox who hit .330 last season.

Malibu and Montclair Prep have traded wins over the last two seasons. The Mounties won last year's matchup, 3-0, behind the pitching of Enrique Zenon. (Nate Schoenbrun threw two runners out at home in a game noteworthy for great defensive plays.) In 2005, Malibu won, 5-4, on a three-run homer by Daniel Williams.

Incidentally, Michael Jackson is also an alumnus of Montclair Prep.

Walking Shoes

Forget about new spikes. What Stephen Williams needs is a pair of good walking shoes.

Through the first five games of the season, Williams has been walked six times and has been hit by a pitch four times. On Saturday, Palisades High pitchers walked Williams three times (twice in the sixth inning) and hit him once.

For his troubles, Williams has a .611 on-base percentage.

HBP number 2 vs. Saint Monica on March 2.

HBP number 3 vs. Culver City on March 6.

The Week Ahead

After going 3-2 in the Royal Invitational Tournament, Malibu heads into a week of tough non-league competition before beginning Tri-Valley League play against Oak Park on March 21.

The Sharks travel to the Mid-Valley baseball complex on Tuesday to take on Montclair Prep. On Wednesday, the Sharks hit the road again for a game at Campbell Hall. The week ends with a doubleheader at home against LA Baptist on Saturday.

Both mid-week games begin at 3:15 p.m. Start time for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader is 11:00 a.m.

March 10: The Schedule

The Sharks, coming off a 7-4 win over Huntington Park, play Pali High at their yard at 2:00 p.m. in the final game of the Royal Invitational Tournament.

Palisades High School is located at 15777 Bowdoin Street in Pacific Palisades (at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road). The baseball field is situated at the north end of the school property with Sunset Boulevard above and beyond the outfield fence. For a map, click here.

The JV squad has the day off.

Frosh at SV

The Sharks' freshman team plays tomorrow at Simi Valley in a game set to begin at 3:00 p.m. The SVHS Pioneers lost to Crespi's freshmen, 14-2, last Friday and rebounded to beat Burroughs, 12-6, on Wednesday.

Malibu and Simi Valley play at Simi Valley again on Monday.

Scouting Report: Huntington Park Spartans

Huntington Park enters tomorrow's game against the Sharks with a 1-2 record. The Spartans started the Royal Invitational Tournament with a 2-1 win over Lawndale before dropping a 3-2 decision to Mary Star of the Sea and being routed, 20-4, by Birmingham on Monday.

Huntington Park starter Mauricio Sanchez gave up ten hits and eight earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings against Birmingham. Meanwhile, Huntington Park hitters could manage only four hits in the game.

Danny Hernandez and Gustavo Corona lead the Spartans offensively. Hernandez is hitting .500 over the first three games of the 2007 season with a double and two stolen bases. Corona has a .333 average and two stolen bases. Each of his three hits thus far has been a double.

Randy Matos, who pitched eight innings to earn the win in extra innings against Lawndale a week ago, is the probable starter for the Spartans against Malibu. The senior hurler struck out seven without walking a batter in that outing.

Last season, Huntington Park finished with a 12-15 record. Matos was the leading hitter with a .356 average. Overall, the Spartans hit .239 over the course of the 2006 season.

Game time is 3:00 p.m. for the game, which is being played at South East High School.

South East New What?

Tomorrow's game against Huntington Park will be played at a nearby high school, South East High in South Gate. South East High is the newest high school in the LA Unified School District. It is located on the grounds of the former General Motors plant in South Gate at 2720 Tweedy Boulevard (just off of South Alameda Street north of the 105). Click here for a map.

(Please note: Because South East High sits on 26 acres, the baseball field could be anywhere. Plan to get there early.)

From Thursday to Friday

Game 4 for Malibu in the Royal Invitational Tournament has been rescheduled from Thursday to Friday. The Sharks will play the Huntington Park Spartans on Friday at 3:00 p.m.

(Please check back for information on getting to Huntington Park's home field.)

Culver City 7, Sharks 1 (Photos)

Sean Conrad bats in the first inning.

Dalton Abbott bats in the third inning.

Greg Kernodle flies to left in the third inning.

Stephen Williams launches a long foul ball in the fourth inning.

Wilder Philipson delivers in the fourth inning.

Jace Dispenza pitches in the sixth inning.

Stephen Williams trots home as the sixth inning ends on a fly out.

Andrew Kramer bats in the seventh inning.

Culver City 7, Sharks 1

Culver City took advantage of a shaky Malibu defense to score six runs in the first three innings in the course of handing the Sharks their first loss of the season, 7-1.

The defensive problems started quickly for Malibu. Culver City leadoff hitter Patrick Cousineau turned an infield hit into an extra base when Sean Conrad's throw got past first baseman Dalton Abbott. Michael Lee then dribbled a ground ball toward first and reached safely as pitcher Wilder Philipson was unable to find the handle on the ball. With runners on first and third, Kevin Ozaki grounded back to Philipson who threw to Stephen Williams at the plate to get Cousineau trying to score. The third Malibu error of the inning, on a groundball hit by MacArrin Tucker, scored Lee and moved Ozaki to third. After Adrian Campos popped out to Jacob Perrin at shortstop, Philipson hit James Seay to load the bases and then hit Jacob Blodgett to drive in another run.

Malibu put two runners on in the bottom of the first with a base hit by Jace Dispenza and a walk to Williams, but the Sharks were retired in order in the second and third innings while Culver City was tacking on four more runs.

In the top of the second, Andrew Connolly bunted and ended up on second as Philipson's throw was wild. Connolly moved to third on Cousineau's groundout to Greg Kernodle at second and scored two batters later when Kevin Ozaki beat the relay as the Sharks tried to execute an inning-ending double play.

In the third, Adrian Campos led off with a bunt single, assisted by a mental error by third baseman Sean Conrad who touched the ball in fair territory even as it seemed to be heading foul. After Seay walked and moved Campos to second, Williams picked Campos off of second. When the rundown ended, Campos was out and Seay had moved to second. A walk to Blodgett and a wild pitch that advanced both runners set the stage for a sacrifice fly by Kevin Cohen. Connolly followed with a double that scored Blodgett. Cousineau's single down the left field line drove in Connolly with the third run of the inning.

The Centaurs increased their lead to 7-0 in the fifth inning. Connolly started things off with a one-out single to left. Cousineau and Lee both followed with walks. With the bases loaded, Coach Paul Gallo called on Jace Dispenza to pitch in relief of Philipson. Ozaki, the first batter to face Dispenza, lined out to Nate Schoenbrun in center to score Connolly, who tagged from third. Tucker then lined out to Kernodle for the final out of the inning.

Malibu finally got on the board in the sixth inning. Kernodle, leading off, lined the first pitch he saw into left field for a single. Dispenza traded places with Kernodle on a fielder's choice. After Perrin flied to left for the second out of the inning, Conrad singled to right to drive in Dispenza.

On the day, Sean Conrad was 2-for-3. Jace Dispenza and Greg Kernodle had Malibu's two other hits.

The Sharks play again on Thursday, but their opponent and the location have not yet been determined.